There are many things to take care of if you’re a landlord. As a property owner, you need to be cautious about the kind of tenants that you let reside on your property. You also need to keep track of repair requests and other maintenance issues and ensure that rent is collected on time and all necessary fees are collected.
If you’re not particularly confident in your ability to manage a property on your own, you may want to look at partnering with an amateur property management company.
An amateur property management company is exactly as it sounds– they are small companies or individuals who specialize in managing properties for landlords but do not have professional certification in real estate and leasing.
Here’s why more landlords are choosing amateur property management companies:
Checking Backgrounds of Prospective Tenants
Before you sign a lease with a tenant, you’ll want to check their background thoroughly. You don’t want to sign a lease with a tenant with a history of late payments, unlawful activity, or a criminal record.
An amateur property management company can assist with the process, typically conducted through a tenant screening service. A tenant screening service will help you obtain information such as a prospective tenant’s past addresses, employment information, and criminal history.
Receiving and Processing Repairs Requests
One of the most time-consuming and challenging aspects of being a landlord is dealing with repair requests. If a tenant reports a problem with the property, you need to take care of the repairs within a reasonable amount of time.
This can be particularly challenging if you are unfamiliar with the property and its systems. That is why partnering with a property management company is a good idea.
A good property management company knows how to deal with repair requests, ensure that the repairs are completed promptly, and keep a log of all repair work.
Collecting Rent and Other Fees
Collecting all of the money that you’re owed and following up on late payments can be a draining and overwhelming experience.
Working with an amateur property management company can ensure that all the rent owed is collected promptly. They will exactly how much money is due each month, when it is due, and how it is being collected, as well as deal with the pushbacks from late-paying tenants.
Managing Marketing and Advertising
If you want to find new tenants for your property, you want to make sure that your property is being marketed correctly. You’ll want to ensure that your property is listed online with real estate websites and other appropriate advertising sources for your area.
This can all be a bit too much, especially if you have multiple properties to manage. A good amateur property management company should know how to market your property properly. They will know the right websites to list your property on, the right keywords to use, and the right language to use when describing your property, to get to the right audience.
Wrapping It Up
If you’re not confident in your ability to manage a property on your own or are unsure if you want to invest the time and effort into learning real estate management, you may want to consider hiring an amateur property management company.
With the help of an amateur property management company, you can reduce the energy and time you need to manage your rental property, allowing you the flexibility to manage other, more demanding aspects of our real estate portfolio.